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Get DAZED AND CONFUSED With Your High School Friends at the Tivoli Midnights This Weekend

By Tom Stockman | September 14, 2014

“That’s what I love about these high school girls, man. I get older, they stay the same age!”

DAZED AND CONFUSED plays this weekend (August 19^th and 20^th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.

I graduated from Kirkwood High School in 1979 and DAZED AND CONFUSED, which I saw at the Shady Oak Theater in Clayton 14 years later, is so spot-on it’s scary. Writer-Director Richard Linklater is one year older than me and his film debut was a nostalgic look back at the final day of school, when the soon-to-be-seniors get drunk and stoned waiting for their first year at the top of the food chain while the incoming freshmen get prepared for a year of getting picked on. A wide range of character drink, smoke pot and have fun talking about what life is about to offer them. I think it’s fair to say that this film did for the late ‘70s what American GRAFFITI did for the early ‘60s in that it was a very nostalgic look back for a director who was clearly putting his memories on film so that future generations could look back and use the film to say that’s what it was like back in the day. With DAZED AND CONFUSED, Linklater did a remarkable job capturing the mood and spirit of teenagers and the colorful soundtrack really packs a punch. The actors playing these parts are at the top of their game and seeing this movie today is a lot different than when I saw it back when it was first released. I still remember watching DAZED AND CONFUSED and being impressed by all of the unknowns, but when you see the film today it’s rather shocking to see how many went on to bigger things. Matthew McConaughey, Jason London, Renee Zelweger, Rory Cochrane, Adam Goldberg, Milla Jovovich, Joey Lauren Adams, Ben Affleck, and Parker Posey are just a few of the familiar faces and all of them do a fine job with their characters. Another important part of the film is its terrific soundtrack, which includes the likes of Aerosmith, Bob Dylan, Alice Cooper, ZZ Top, KISS, Deep Purple, Ted Nugent, Peter Frampton, War, Nazareth and many others. There’s no question that the story is fairly light as there’s really not too much going on except for drinking and smoking but I think there was a point to that. The young faces and terrific music are two of the biggest highlights and in the end there’s no way not to be impressed with what you’re seeing with DAZED AND CONFUSED.

Now grab your old stoner buddies and relive your high school days when DAZED AND CONFUSED plays on the big screen this weekend (August 19^th and 20^th) at the Tivoli as part of their Reel Late at the Tivoli Midnight series.